The Alfa grill

[JHertzman@domain.elided]

Ian Evans asks "When was the heart shaped grille adopted as the trademark of 
the Alfa and who was responsible for the original design concept?"

If he means a pronounced heart shape, with a pointed bottom, well-rounded 
sides  and decided cleavage at the top, it was 1935, on the Bimotore, which 
was not built by Alfa, but by Ferrari with Alfa's approval. 

Nothing remotely like it (or like the quintessential Alfa grill as we now 
know it) was used on any Alfa competition single seaters, actual or 
projected, the Type Cs, the 8C 1935 and 12C 1936, 12C 1937, 308, 312, 158, 
316, 512, 162, 163 or 159.

The most characteristic earlier Alfa grill shape, flat with straight sides, 
straight bottom, and peaked triangular top, which was used on the type A, 
Monzas, and type B as well as on the 6C 1500, 6C 1750 and 8C2300, seems to 
derive from the 1924 version of the RL TF. For the 6C 1900 of 1934 the 
transitions were softened and the bottom brought to a point, an ubiquitous 
convention of the period; think 1934 Ford, Citroen - - and many nice variants 
on this were used by Touring from then on. So for the "who was responsible 
for the original design concept?" part of the question, I would say no one 
person, but Anderloni played the largest part in making it the recognizable 
standard.

John H.

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